Answer:
1. The New Civil Code of the Philippines (NCC) contains the rules on succession, not the Family Code. (In layman’s terms, succession is inheritance.) Please browse the NCC section of my Family Matters website for the complete provisions on succession.
Since there was no last will and testament executed by your brother's wife, then the rules on legal or intestate succession must be followed.
2. When a husband or wife dies without any children, then under the NCC rules on intestate succession, the compulsory heirs and their respective shares are in their proper order:
A. The surviving spouse gets one-half of the estate, and the surviving parents of the deceased also get one-half.
This is provided by Article 997 of the NCC which states, “When the widow or widower survives with legitimate parents or ascendants, the surviving spouse shall be entitled to one-half of the estate, and the legitimate parents or ascendants to the other half.”
B. If the parents are dead, then the surviving spouse gets one-half, and the other half goes to the brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces (representing any deceased sibling of the deceased spouse).
This is provided by Article 1001 of the NCC which states, “Should brothers and sisters or their children survive with the widow or widower, the latter shall be entitled to one-half of the inheritance and the brothers and sisters or their children to the other half.”Please take note that if the parents are alive (or if only the father or mother is alive, as the case may be), then the brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces will not have a share in the inheritance. This is based on the principle in succession known as “nearer excludes farther.”
The share of the surviving spouse in the community property or in the conjugal partnership property will first be deducted from the estate. The remaining portion after the deduction will then be divided according to the proportions set by Articles 997 and 1001 of the NCC.
3. Article 103 of the Family Code provides the procedure for the liquidation of the community property in case of death. The articles states,
Upon the termination of the marriage by death, the community property shall be liquidated in the same proceeding for the settlement of the estate of the deceased.
If no judicial settlement proceeding is instituted, the surviving spouse shall liquidate the community property either judicially or extra-judicially within six months from the death of the deceased spouse. If upon the lapse of the six months period, no liquidation is made, any disposition or encumbrance involving the community property of the terminated marriage shall be void.
Should the surviving spouse contract a subsequent marriage without compliance with the foregoing requirements, a mandatory regime of complete separation of property shall govern the property relations of the subsequent marriage.Article 103 is reproduced verbatim in Article 130 of the Family Code. The article governs the liquidation of the conjugal partnership property.
Both Articles 103 and 130 speak of the liquidation of the community property or of the conjugal partnership property in the “proceeding for the settlement of the estate of the deceased.” This proceeding in the settlement of the estate of the deceased is Rule 73 of the Rules of Court. Under Rule 73, any of the compulsory heirs can file a petition in court to have the estate judically settled. To avoid dissipation of the estate, the petition should be filed immediately.
If all the heirs can come to an agreement, however, then they could just execute a deed of extrajudicial settlement of estate. This is much faster and less costly than going to court to have the estate judicially settled.
